


better run better run

by isthepartyover



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, im dying folks, post last palace, spoilers for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 04:57:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15623043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isthepartyover/pseuds/isthepartyover
Summary: Ryuji knows he's good at one thing.And he won't let his team down, no matter the cost





	better run better run

Ryuji felt panic rise along with the water level on the ship, climbing up out of the main entrance of the ship and seeing how deep they had sunk already.

There had to be a way out of this, a way to keep them all  _ safe _ …

“A lifeboat!” Futaba shrieked, pointing ahead and up, and Ryuji followed her finger, mind whirling.

It wasn’t too steep yet, if he really pushed himself, maybe-

“I got this.” he announced, a grin spreading on his face as he met Akira’s eyes, the other boy looking worried.

“Are you sure? Your leg-“

Ryuji laughed, grinning wider. “ _ I’ve got this _ .”

And before anyone else could say anything, he lept down, taking starting position.

He wasn’t going to let this be the end of the Phantom Thieves.

At the sound of another explosion, he took off, sprinting hard, eyes locked on the boat as he leapt over the water, pushing his legs even faster once he landed on the other side, exhilaration and adrenaline making it feel almost effortless, like he’d never had his leg broken in the first place, like this is what he was born to do-

He took one last leap, arms outstretched to grab the lever to release, and let out a manic laugh as he  _ did it _ , the release activating with the weight of gravity pulling him down again, gasping out breaths as he turned to watch his friends climb onto the tiny thing, cheering and whooping and-

And Akira’s eyes met his, something awe-struck and proud and  _ warm _ in his gaze, making Ryuji feel like he’d just slammed a cold can of Dr Salt on a hot summer day, relieved and satisfied, something delicious and satisfied bubbling in his gut as the little craft puttered forwards, neither of their gazes leaving the others, even as Ryuji gave them all a thumbs up.

And then there was a loud noise, and heat, and Ryuji felt his hand slipping and then the sensation of falling and then nothing at all.

**

He comes back to himself slowly, lungs burning and bad leg throbbing to his heartbeat, grass in his mouth and a ringing in his ears.

Groaning, Ryuji pushes himself up, pausing to let the slight dizziness that he’d come to associate with getting in and out of the metaverse subside as he looked around.

He was in a small park, one of the itty bitty ones wedged between two tall office buildings, sparse and abandoned in the dark, the Diet Building standing imposing just diagonal across the street.

So he was back in the real world, wonderful. The palace must have finally given up the ghost, dragging him out with-

_ Wait _ , Ryuji thought, picking himself up _ , where was everyone else? _

If he didn’t hurt so much, he’d have run to the Diet Building, but as is, Ryuji stumbles towards it, hoping he didn’t look too suspicious to the many cops that patrolled the area, immediately forgetting that worry when he spots the group of six teenagers and a cat huddled nearby, all of them unusually quiet and subdued.

“Ah, that was a close one. A real close one” Ryuji groaned loudly as he walked up to them, “Too many explosions. Usually they just disappear.”

There was absolute silence, and Ryuji looked around to see everyone in various stages of shock, most of them also with tears in their eyes.

“Wh-what?” He asked, eyes settling on Akira, who was pale as a ghost, shaking, something unknown and unreadable in his expression.

“You-you died.” Haru breathed from behind him.

Ryuji inhaled sharply, shaking his head as he explained, “Uh...I was blown back from the explosion and when I woke up, I was lyin’ in the grass near here. I’m fine!”

Akira’s lips pursed, still not saying a word, still with that odd look in his eyes, and finally broke their gaze to look over at Ann, who was still sniffling, teary and looking less put together than Ryuji’d seen her in years, Futaba next to her looking equally as disastrous.

And because he was an idiot with no filter, Ryuji found himself saying, “Aw, c’mon, your crying faces aren’t cute.”

It was like flipping a switch in the entire group, Ann in particular immediately turning murderous.

“It’s  _ because of you _ !” She screeched, raising her palm and slapping him before he could even figure out what was happening.

“We were worried about you!” Haru also scolded, fists clenched as she advanced on him.

“Damn troublemaker!” Futaba cursed.

“What’s with all of this?! I mean, I just almost died!” Ryuji tried, backing up until he was against a pole, all his friends still looking pissed as they advanced.

And after a very painful minute or two, Ryuji found himself on the ground again, groaning quietly as everyone cheerfully planned to get food and started walking off, leaving him there to pick himself off the sidewalk.

Ryuji winced a bit, forgetting the pain in his leg until he was back on it, taking a moment to rub at his scar before looking up to see how far everyone had gotten, something warm again in his gut when he saw only Akira, standing under a streetlamp a few feet away, watching him with that same mysterious expression, silent as always.

Ryuji took a few steps closer, biting his lip and shoving his hands in his pockets, watching as Akira swallowed and shook his head, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he finally spoke for the first time since they’d left the palace, voice small and sharp, like broken glass. 

“ _ Never  _ do that  _ again _ .”

And then Ryuji found himself being crushed into a strong hug, Akira’s face buried in his neck.

“I’m sorry.” Ryuji found himself murmuring, wrapping his arms around Akira as well. “Sorry I scared ya.”

He felt Akira take a deep, shaking breath before something wet hit his skin.

“ _ Never _ .” Akira hissed again, voice wobbling.

Ryuji was stunned.

Akira  _ never _ cried.

Not when he’d heard about what happened to Ryuji and Shiho, not when he’d faced Futaba, teary and insisting she was to blame for all the shit that’d happened to her, that she deserved to die, not when Haru’s dad had died and everyone blamed them, not when he’d been returned to them the month before, bruised and battered and broken in some unspoken, unexplained way, and not even when Futaba had reported that Akechi’s presence no longer existed behind the barrier.

And now he was sniffling into Ryuji’s neck, taking gasping little breaths that absolutely broke Ryuji’s heart.

Ryuji squeezed Akira harder, murmuring, “Shit, I’m sorry, ‘Kira-I... _ someone _ had to...I-please don’t cry, not over me-”

At that, Akira shoved himself away from Ryuji, fixing him with a glare that was usually reserved for tough shadows, eyes gleaming with tears.

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ speak about yourself like that.” he hissed, shoving Ryuji a little. “You’re...you...I… _ how  _ do you not-”

Akira let out a frustrated little groan, and then before Ryuji could really process what was happening, he had a fistful of his purple hoodie, and their mouths were colliding together.

He couldn’t help the involuntary squeak he let out, frozen in place as Akira pulled away, still scowling.

“You mean  _ everything _ to me.” he told Ryuji, and Ryuji felt a grin spring up onto his face as he blushed.

“I-jesus, ‘Kira,” he laughed, relishing the brief moment of confusion on Akira’s face as he moved his hands up from his back to cup his cheeks, “I-”

When their lips meet again, it’s less forceful, an ‘I’m sorry’ and a ‘I forgive you’, something wonderful and gentle.

They pull apart after what seems like and eternity, foreheads resting together as they breathed.

“Never again.” Akira repeated, softer this time, “Promise me.”

Ryuji shook his head. “Everyone’s waiting, y’know?”

Akira huffed out a breath but untangled himself from Ryuji, biting his lip before holding out his hand for Ryuji to take.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> i love my son ryuji blease game why do me like this i was horrified
> 
> also the doc name for this was run binch shrugs
> 
> (comment or kudos mean a lot <3)


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